Red Christmas Lights  A Sadie Story
by klcarr892
Summary: Red John has a special Christmas planed for Jane. What is it? Read to find out :D
1. Chapter 1

A/N Hey all! I've finally finished my sequel to "Sadie in the Snow". Needless to say, if you haven't read that one, you may want to give that a read before this one or else you will have no idea who Sadie is or where she came from ;o). This is a Christmas fic so, I'll try to get all the chapters up before Saturday.

**Dedicated to my good friend Laura (Jisbon4Ever) who generously volunteered her time to read through this and allowed me to bounce ideas off her. Thank you Laura!**

Disclaimer: I do not own TM or any of its characters, sadly.

Red Christmas Lights – A Sadie Story

Prologue – Winter Wonderland

It was officially two weeks until Christmas. Downtown Sacramento was filled with the hustle and bustle of shoppers trying to check off the items on their Christmas lists. Everywhere, people were juggling parcels, a good sign that their escapades had been successful. A chorus of cheerful holiday music filtered out of each shop entrance, setting the mood of the cheerful December evening. Christmas lights of every shape and color completed the scene as each store owner tried to out-decorate the other. It was nearly picturesque, everyone in a gleeful mood despite the chaos. That is, everyone besides Patrick Jane.

The grinch had nothing on the consultant as he made his way down the busy street. The man had one task in mind and he was focused on completing that task as soon as possible. The CBI Christmas party was only two days away and Jane had yet to pick up Christmas gifts for the team. Jane wasn't normally into exchanging Christmas presents but he knew the team would likely shower him with wrapped packages so it was only fair of him to at least make an effort to find something for them.

He hated everything about the holidays: the music, the lights, and especially the shoppers. It wasn't the sheer amount of people that bothered Jane so much but rather what those people represented: A man, trying to find the perfect gift for the woman he loved, parents searching high and low for the one item on their child's Christmas list that didn't seem to exist, the family browsing through the Christmas trees, one they would decorate together before cozying up by the fireplace.

There was a time in Jane's life when he enjoyed the holidays just like everyone else. He remembered always purchasing the largest Christmas tree on the lot every year since they had the room. It was such a project getting the tree up. Jane liked the colored lights but Annie always requested the white ones, insisting they made the tree look more elegant and less childish. Of course, Jane always complied. After all, she did most of the decorating around the house as his career (if that's what you want to call it) didn't leave him much free time.

Jane always spent Christmas at home with his wife since Annie's side never really warmed up to the idea of them being married. It was nice, just the two of them until Charlotte was born and with her brought new Christmas traditions like visiting Santa at the mall or watching Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer every Christmas eve before bed. Those were the happy years before everything changed, before Jane's arrogance angered a serial killer into taking away everything that mattered in life. After all, what was Christmas without Angels? Jane had lost both of his years ago.

Sighing, Jane realized his gaze was fixed on the decorated tree inside of the shop window he was currently standing in front of. With some effort, Jane managed to peel his eyes away from the object that would delight any other passerby and looked down at his companion.

"Come one Sadie. We have presents to shop for."

The chocolate lab looked up at Jane and then trotted behind him as they strolled the streets.

_Sorry for the short prologue. The rest of the chapters are long. If you're all nice, I may just post Chapter 1 tonight... hint hint._


	2. Chapter 2

A/N So, as promised, here's chapter numero uno..lol. Enjoy the fluff while it lasts.

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Chapter 1 – All I Want For Christmas is You

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Van Pelt was in a great mood as she typed away on her computer. She couldn't help it. There was just something about the Christmas season that made her smile. She jumped slightly as something brushed up against her leg. She looked down to see Sadie's head peek out from beneath the desk.

"I don't have any food girl."

The dog knew Van Pelt was the most likely one to give in to her begging. Technically, dogs weren't allowed in the CBI building but Sadie was not your typical dog. After their little mountan adventure, Jane would sneak her into work with him. Surprisingly, Hightower turned a blind eye when it came to Sadie, something to do with Jane behaving better with the dog around.

Speaking of Jane, Van Pelt wondered where the consultant was. Probably, brooding in the CBI attic as usual, she gathered. The consultant spent considerably more time up there recently. She was surprised to hear that the man had even set up a makeshift bed. Lisbon said he was distancing himself from the team fearing they would get hurt if he got too close to them. Glancing over to the corner of the bullpen that contained Jane's beloved leather couch, Van Pelt also had to wonder if his absence had anything to do with the Christmas tree someone had so conveniently set up back there do to the fact that the couch had remained vacant ever since the tree's arrival.

Van Pelt was just finishing up the last of her paperwork before going home to get ready for the Christmas party. She had a little over two hours before Rigsby was due to pick her up at her place. Filing the completed papers, Van Pet shut down her computer and was about to get up when she heard a voice from behind her.

"What do you think?"

She spun around in her chair to find Jane behind her. He was dressed in one of his dark suits, with a dark vest, and a white shirt. Although the outfit wasn't a far cry from his normal attire, the man had obviously tried to look presentable, and succeeded.

"You look great Jane. Found your razor I see."

"Yeah, I've been…lazy..lately." Jane looked at the floor.

_At least you aren't wearing the same suit you've been wearing and sleeping in all week_. Van Pelt thought but didn't voice. "Seriously Jane, you clean up well."

"Careful there Grace. Wouldn't want Rigsby to hear you." Jane joked. "Thank you though." He said seriously.

"Well, I gotta go or I'm never going to be ready on time. When are you picking up Lisbon?"

"In an hour. I have a little something planned before the party."

Van Pelt gave Jane a confused look.

"Don't worry Grace. This is Lisbon we're talking about. I'm not going to seduce her before the party."

"Hey, I don't have any qualms with any plans you may or may not have as long as she's happy." Van Pelt assured. "Don't do anything stupid but have fun."

"Me? Stupid? Meh. See you later Grace."

With that, Van Pelt briskly walked out of the bullpen, trying to make up for lost time.

The holidays were his least favorite time of year but for tonight, Jane was going to bottle up his own feelings. Recently, he had come to realize that by distancing himself from the team, he was hurting Lisbon and although Jane still felt his actions were warranted, it bothered him that she was paying for it. Tonight, Jane was going to show Lisbon that he still cared for her in the only way he knew how. Maybe he would take away some of the stress he had caused her.

^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^

Lisbon heard a knock on her door at ten minutes till seven. She peeked through the hole in the door to see Jane's blonde head standing just outside. Opening the door, Lisbon smiled at the sight. Since sleeping in the CBI attic, Jane hadn't been taking very good care of himself. Every day, Lisbon noticed darker circles under the man's eyes, more wrinkles in his suits, and more stubble growing on his chin. The man standing before showed none of those signs. He had washed, shaved, and looked darn handsome in that dark suit. _What am I thinking?_ Lisbon chided herself.

"You look stunning Lisbon." Jane took in Lisbon's appearance. She was wearing a simple, dark green dress that was floor-length and hit her curves in all the right places. Lisbon's hair was down but curled so it framed the sides of her face nicely. The icing on the cake was the emerald necklace and earrings he had won her over a year ago at the casino.

"I thought you gave those back."

Lisbon looked down at her necklace, knowing what Jane was referring to.

"I was going to and then couldn't make myself give them back. I should have though. They're far too elegant to be of any regular use but I figured for tonight…"

"Looks perfect Lisbon but you're beautiful with or without the jewelry." _Did I just say that?_ Jane wondered shocked.

_Did he just say that?_ Lisbon didn't know how to reply. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Thank you my dear now why don't you say we get going."

"But we're going to be too early. It'd be awkward to be the first ones there."

"Just go with me on this Lisbon please." Jane gave his best puppy dog impression.

"Whatever Jane but this better not be on of your crazy tricks because I intend to have a good time tonight and if you ruin my mood before we even get to the party…"

"You'll like this Lisbon, I promise."

"Hmm… why does that not assure me?" Lisbon grabbed her purse and shawl before locking the door and following Jane to his car.

"Sadie, back seat. Sorry, lady gets the front seat." Sadie wagged her tail at Lisbon and then hopped in the back seat.

Jane held open the door for Lisbon who got in before Jane scampered over to the other side.

"I can't believe I let you pick me up in this thing."

"Shh, Lisbon, she gets offended when you talk to her in such a way." Jane pat the dashboard of his car.

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "So, where are we going?"

"Now it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now would it?"

Lisbon had absolutely no idea where they were going as Jane drove her through the back streets of Sacramento. She could tell they were still in the suburbs but other than that, she was clueless. Without warning, Jane pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car. Lisbon looked out the window, not seeing anything out of the ordinary that would hint as to why the car was stopped. Jane got out and then walked around to open the door for Lisbon, holding out his hand for her to take. Reluctantly, Lisbon took his hand and stood up. They were in the middle of nowhere in the dark. What was going on?

"Jane? Umm, although I do like going on little strolls, walking around at night in the middle of nowhere, this is not exactly the surprise I had in mind."

Jane opened the back door to let Sadie out and then grabbed something off the back seat. Lisbon was surprised when Jane shoved something warm into her hands. "Here. Take this and come with me. It's almost time."

Lisbon took the object, coffee, by the smell of it and followed Jane down the streets still very confused, Sadie at her heels. She looked at her cell phone. It was seven thirteen.

Jane stopped about twenty yards away from where they had parked and waited for Lisbon. Once she was at his side, he lazily slumped his arm on her shoulders. "Now we wait."

"For what?" No sooner than Lisbon had asked the question, bright lights filled Lisbon's vision as the house they were standing nearest to was illuminated by a vibrant Christmas light display followed by other houses on the street. The sight was breathtaking.

"Every night at quarter past seven, the Christmas lights in this neighborhood come on. People come from all over to see the display."

"Oh Jane, It's amazing." Lisbon was taken aback by the gesture.

"I know how much you like the lights, how they remind you of when you were a small child and things were much simpler."

"How?... never mind. I don't really care how you know. Thank you Jane." Lisbon leaned closer to give Jane a small peck on the cheek. "This was really sweet of you."

Jane noticed Lisbon shiver slightly so he removed his jacket, gently placing it on her shoulders. "Better?"

"Yes, better." Lisbon grabbed the edges of the jacket, pulling it around herself.

The three of them stood there in silence for what was probably only a few minutes but felt like a lifetime, Lisbon enjoying the lights and Jane finding joy in her happiness. Eventually, Jane broke the silence.

"What do you say, ready to head to the party?" Jane asked.

"Sure." Lisbon reluctantly made her way towards Janes car with the consultant and Sadie not far behind.

By the time Jane and Lisbon arrived back at the CBI, the party was already in full swing. The large room on the third floor of the building was decorated nicely with lights and garland. Music could be heard outside on the balcony as they made their way through the crowd, looking for the rest of the team. Unfortunately, Hightower found them first.

"Well, look who finally arrived. I was about to come looking for you in the attic." Hightower said only half seriously. "You both look stunning. I think I saw the rest of your team outside Lisbon."

"Thanks." Lisbon moved to walk outside and Jane followed. Sadie disappeared to find unsuspecting agents with food. The consultant spotted the rest of the team outside leaning on the railing, overlooking the city.

"Hey guys." Lisbon greeted.

Rigsby and Van Pelt turned around followed by Cho and Elise.

Van Pelt smiled seeing Lisbon. "You look great boss."

"Thanks."

"So what was this surprise Jane had planned for the evening?" Van Pelt couldn't help herself.

Rigsby's eyebrows raised at the question. "Surprise?"

"Uhh, Jane took me for a walk?" Lisbon explained sheepishly.

"A walk?"

Jane was amused by Lisbon's embarrassment and continued for her. "What our dear Lisbon failed to mention was that we took a stroll down a street known for their extravagant holiday displays."

"Oh, how romantic." Van Pelt squealed excitedly. Cho and Rigsby rolled their eyes.

"Dance with me Wayne?" Van Pelt suddenly asked grabbing Rigsby's hand. He followed as they made their way to the dance floor.

Lisbon took the opportunity to look at the pair. Van Pelt was dressed in a shorter gold dress and matching heels. Rigsby was wearing a white dress shirt and a red tie. They looked good together, more relaxed than she had seen them in a while. Lisbon secretly wished Jane would ask her to dance at some point. She hadn't danced with the man since the class reunion, not that there had been an opportunity or anything.

"Lisbon." Jane was trying to get her attention. She snapped out of her daydream.

"Hmm?"

"Would you do me the honor?" Jane offered his hand for the second time that night.

_I could get used to this,_ Lisbon thought and smiled as he obviously read her thoughts and followed him to the dance floor. Lisbon was a bit disappointed when the music wasn't the slow melody that was playing only moments earlier. Instead, the music had picked up to the tune of _All I Want for Christmas Is You_.

To Lisbon's delight, Jane was just as good of a dancer to the faster-paced music as he was to the slower. She smiled as he guided her into the rhythm, twirling her effortlessly at appropriate times. The stress of the work week was another world away as they allowed themselves this night to simple enjoy one another's company. As the song ended, and the music once again slowed down, Lisbon rested her head lightly on Jane's shoulder as they swayed slowly, wishing the night would never end.

^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^

*sigh*... so I hope you enjoyed my fluffy chapter. It's going to get more serious very soon. After all, RJ is involved in this one. I'll post more tomorrow... (I have 15 chapters that somehow need to be posted in 5 days? lol) Pleaaase review. I would love to hear what ya'll think. I'm not as good as writing the fluffy stuff so I hope this is believable. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

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Chapter 2 – On The First Day of Christmas

Lisbon was still dwelling on the high of the night a half an hour after Jane had dropped her off. She had changed into her pj's and made herself a steaming cup of tea (the man was seriously rubbing off on her) before getting comfortable in her oversized living room chair with a good book. The party had been great and to Lisbon's delight, Jane had been on his best behavior the whole time, a gentleman even. With a pang in her heart, Lisbon wondered if this was the way the Jane had been with his wife before…_Don't go there Lisbon. You were in such a good mood._ She wondered what Christmas would be like for the consultant, assuming this must be a difficult time of the year for him. Not that the holidays were a particularly good time for Lisbon either but at least her brothers had all given her an open invitation to join them which she had politely declined of course.

With Lisbon's good mood officially shattered, she put her book down. She had too much real drama in her life to be reading the fictional kind. Lisbon made a mental note to come up with a plan to get Jane out of the office during their few days off. Alluring the man with tea or a drive in his beloved car would work right?

Lisbon pried herself out of the chair, checked to make sure the front door was locked, and turned off the lights before making her way to the bedroom. Juggling her half-full cup of tea, Lisbon closed the door to her room, not noticing the figure that awaited her in the shadows.

* * *

Jane was considerably nervous, more than usual as he sat on the couch in Lisbon's office. After dropping Lisbon off at her place, Jane had made his way back to the CBI with Sadie. The party was over and the building was vacant other than the janitors cleaning up. Jane glanced from the object in his hands to Lisbon's desk.

"What do you think girl? Do you think she'll like it? Is it too much? Will she understand? Will I be able to go through with the whole thing when the time comes?"

Sadie put her paw on Jane's knee as if to reassure him.

"You're right. This is Lisbon we're talking about. If anyone will understand this, she will."

Jane placed his hand on his leg and gently eased himself off of the couch before placing the small wrapped package on Lisbon's desk. Then, he left her office and made his way back out into the bullpen not at all surprised to find wrapped packages of his own awaiting him on his couch. Jane enjoyed unwrapping the gifts one at a time even though he already knew what each of his friends had chose for him: A new collection of Sudoku books from Cho, a nice pair of sunglasses from Rigsby, and a gift certificate to his favorite tea shop from Grace. There was even a new leash and collar from the team for Sadie.

Jane was surprised that there was a gift from Lisbon as he knew she was hiding a gift for him in her office and this one was different. It was something soft no doubt, and Jane guessed a blanket. He was correct yet still surprised as he peeled off the paper. The blanket was made of fleece, obviously hand-made. It was dark blue and covered in a pattern of moons and stars. Lisbon was the one who placed the old throw on his couch after she began to realize just how much he slept at the office yet he rarely used it since it was made of wool and itchy. The fleece blanket was perfect – warm, soft, and smelled amazingly like Lisbon.

Jane inhaled the scent on the fleece one final time before putting the blanket down and picking up the last package. It was small and unmarked. Who could it be from? Hightower? No, she had given everyone cards earlier.

Curious, Jane opened the package revealing a box which contained a single item and a small card. Jane picked up the item, an ornament, by the string that was attached to it. Jane had barely registered that the ornament was a bird when the string came loose and the ornament fell to the ground, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Jane cursed at his clumsiness, grabbing a broom from the corner of the room and cleaning up his mess. With that taken care of, Jane sat back on the couch and took the remaining item out of the box. Opening the card, Jane began to read, his hands trembling as the words came into view:

"_On the first day of Christmas, everything Patrick Jane touches shatters."_

_Dear Mr. Jane,_

_ Patrick (I think we know each other well enough to call you by your first name), I trust that you got my Christmas present. Well, it's not really your present but a preview of what's to come. I have a special gift planned for you this year. I was getting a bit bored of our cat and mouse game. It's been too much like a carousel, you know the horse race with no winner. I run you chase but get no closer. Boring. _

_ Too bad you have insisted on distancing yourself so much from others. If you hadn't, than you may have (though I highly doubt it) prevented me from taking the most important thing you have left in your sad, pathetic existence. She's ok at the moment but depending on her strength, she's not going to stay that way for long. I can assure you that your dear Lisbon will perish before the end of the twelfth day of Christmas. Weather she survives or not is completely up to you. Have a great holiday!_

_ RJ_

Jane dropped everything and sprinted out of the building, forgetting Sadie in the process. There were too many things running through his mind. When had Red John been in the CBI building? Was it planted before or after carrying out his threat? What did he want with Lisbon? _Actually, Jane was pretty sure he knew the answer to that one but he didn't want to think about it._ Was he too late? Jane sped over to Lisbon's place, fearing what he would find once he got there, breaking every possible speed limit along the way. Jane kept in mind that Red John had changed his MO before and according to the letter, Jane was almost positive that he wouldn't be walking into another bloodbath. It was the only thing that gave Jane the strength to walk through Lisbon's front door.

Jane noted that the door was slightly ajar but other than that, nothing inside looked out of place. Everything in the front few rooms was as he had remembered.

"Lisbon?" Jane had a good feeling he wouldn't get a response.

Slowly making his way towards Lisbon's bedroom, Jane wondered why it was the bedroom that always caused the most dread. Jane gripped the door handle of Lisbon's room as images, memories, flooded Jane's mind.

Smile on the wall…

Blood…

The Smell…

Death.

Jane opened the door. He stepped on something that crunched under his weight, trying to find a light switch. Finding the light, Jane first looked down to see the shattered cup and saucer on the floor. Then, Jane looked up, instantly noticing Lisbon's white duvet cover. Red John's signature smile stared up at Jane from the bed but it wasn't made out of blood. Jane forced himself closer to the bed and touched smiley. Small granules of something stuck to Jane's fingertips. Smelling the material, Jane instantly understood. Pepper. That wasn't all though, for placed in the very center of the face was a small, glass figurine, and elephant. The fact that Red John was aware of those somewhat private moments frightened Jane to the core.

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_So, what do you think? Let me know by clicking on that little button at the bottom of the page. See it? Yes, that one. ;o) More to come later._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 – Where Are You Christmas?

Van Pelt was surprised to be first at work, well technically not first. Sadie greeted her as she walked into the bullpen which meant Jane had to be around somewhere, yet he didn't really count since the attic had become his new home. She smiled at the wrapped packages littering her desk, but decided she would wait until the team got in to open them. Speaking of which, where was everyone? Van Pelt knew she could at least always count on Lisbon to arrive before her. Hearing footsteps, Van Pelt turned to see Rigsby and Cho entering the bullpen. "So," Rigsby began quietly, just out Van Pelt's ear shot, "Do you think the boss went home with Jane last night?"

"None of my business, man."

"Hey, guys." Van Pelt greeted. "Either of you hear from Lisbon?"

Rigsby glanced at Cho with a smirk on his face. "No, why?"

"Oh nothing really. She's just usually here before all of us, is all. I haven't seen Jane either, but Sadie's here so he's probably upstairs."

"Well, it was a pretty eventful night after all." Rigsby stated truthfully.

"You don't think…?" Van Pelt didn't finish the question.

Rigsby, of course knew what she was referring to. "Dunno, maybe? He did take her on a romantic Christmas stroll."

"But still, boss and Jane?"

"But Sadie's here." Cho added. "Which means Jane's gotta be here."

Rigsby couldn't help himself. "You think they're in the attic?"

"Eww. Gross Rigsby." Van Pelt smacked his arm.

"Guys, come look at this." Cho had wondered over to the back of the bullpen and spotted the scattered gifts on Jane's couch. It was the card left open on the cushion that had caught the man's attention. Cho read over the letter and handed it to Rigsby. Van Pelt read over Rigsby's shoulder.

"Oh my God." Van Pelt gasped.

"Let's go." Cho instructed. "I'll call Hightower on the way."

* * *

In record time, Cho, Rigsby, and Van Pelt were bursting through Lisbon's front door, guns drawn. They swept the first few rooms, finding nothing out of the ordinary.

"Clear." Rigsby called out, as he rounded the corner nearest Lisbon's bedroom. "Guys, get in here!"

Van Pelt followed Rigsby's voice and entered the room. She was both shocked and devastated at what awaited her just inside of the door. The first thing Van Pelt noted was the large grey smiley in the middle of the white bed. Her eyes then drifted to the figure on the floor, up against the wall unmoving. Jane was unresponsive to the fact that they had entered the room. His eyes were fixed on the opposite wall as if in a trance. Hesitantly, Van Pet crouched in front of the consultant.

"Jane?" She gently touched his arm but he remained unfocused. "What happened, Jane? Where's Lisbon?"

Finally, the man's eyes shifted to meet Van Pelt's. "Gone."

"Gone where?"

Jane's stare turned angry, frightening the redhead but she held her ground. "I don't know, Grace. He took her before I got here. If I knew, if I had any idea, don't you think?..." He stopped and placed his head in his hands in a vain attempt to hide his frustration.

"Lisbon will be ok, Jane. She's a good agent, resilient." Van Pelt pushed. _Who am I trying to convince, myself or Jane?_

Jane stood up at that, clearly still upset. "Resilient Grace? Did you forget who we're talking about here? This is Red John, the man who managed to infiltrate the CBI and kill off an entire team of Agents without leaving a trace. Don't you get it? Doesn't anyone understand?" Jane looked around at the other two Agents, no longer trying to hold back on his emotions. "Red John is going to kill Lisbon and there's not a damn thing we can do about it."

Cho spoke up. "This time is different though, Jane. We all read that letter. He's playing a game…granted, it's a game he wants you to lose, but at least it buys us some time. It buys you time to do what you do best. You're right. Lisbon is going to die if you sit here all week moping." Cho knew he was being harsh but hoped it would snap Jane out of his rant.

Unfortunately, it only fueled Jane's rage even more. "This is different? A game? The last decade of my life have been a game to him. Don't tell me this is different because it's not."

The team was getting frustrated with the consultant.

_I wish Lisbon was here,_ Rigsby thought. She was the only one who knew how to handle the consultant when he got like this. Rigsby realized he wasn't as strong as his boss. "Fine then. You stay here in your guilt bubble while the rest of us do what we can to find Lisbon. We've wasted too much time here as it is. Geeze, what a friend you are." Jane looked up at Rigsby, taken aback by the man's harsh words. Rigsby didn't falter under the intense stare, but instead stormed out of the room followed Cho. Van Pelt looked at the consultant, silently pleading him to follow before walking out herself. Jane made no attempt to move.

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_Soo... three chapters and three reviews. So sad :o( ...and I'm being so nice and posting two chapters a day. Hmm... lol. Seriously though, it's almost Christmas and that review button is better than presents ;o) Well, maybe not better but just as nice. Nice chapter will be up in the morning._


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited, etc. As promised, here's the next part. Enjoy!_

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Chapter 4 – Frosty The Snowman

Much to Jane's dismay, he was forced to leave Lisbon's place when forensics arrived. He already knew that they wouldn't find anything at the property other than the obvious. Red John never left anything that he didn't intent people to find. Jane needed to think and the CBI building was not an option since he would never be able to concentrate in that building with Lisbon missing. He did however, need to stop there first for a few things.

Walking into the bullpen, Jane received awkward glances from everyone that saw him. He made a beeline towards his couch, not making eye contact with any of his teammates. Sadie trotted over to greet him, but he ignored her and instead rummaged through the pile of his things, looking for the items he needed. Finding all but one thing, Jane realized that he would unfortunately have to address the team.

"Uh guys, where are the things that were on my couch?"

"Evidence, but here." Cho handed him a piece of paper. "We made copies of the letter. Where are you going?"

"Out. I need to clear my head and this place…" Jane gestured at the room, "…isn't helping."

Cho knew there was no stopping Jane on a mission. "Ok, we'll call you if we get anything. I'm going to need a statement from you at some point but I can stall for a little while."

Jane nodded.

Van Pelt noticed the items Jane was carrying as he left. Waiting till the man was out of the bullpen, she grabbed her own jacket.

"I have a feeling I know where he's going." Van Pelt explained to Cho and Rigsby. "Lisbon would kill me if she found out I knew and let him go alone, so I'm going to follow him. If I'm right, I'll be gone a while."

"Probably a good idea. Call us when you get to wherever he's going." Cho instructed. It was amazing how quickly the agent took over responsibility as needed.

Van Pelt nodded and then turned to see Sadie watching her. "Come on girl. I could use some company in the car." Sadie quickly followed her out of the office.

* * *

Van Pelt trailed behind Jane's blue car at a comfortable distance, knowing where Jane was heading for sure after a half hour of driving. It was mid-afternoon before they reached their destination, the familiar surroundings brining back some vivid memories.

She parked her car next to Jane's, who was already making his way up the all too familiar hiking tail. Being late in the year, the place was covered in even more snow than she remembered. Van Pelt eventually came to the spot she expected to find the consultant, and sure enough, there was Jane, sitting on a rock overlooking the drop below. She was relieved that at least this time, the man had remembered to wear a jacket.

Upon seeing her owner, Sadie trotted up the hill to greet Jane. Again, the consultant chose to ignore the canine.

Van Pelt noticed this as she too walked up the hill. She gave Sadie a pat on the head and then sat next to Jane who didn't seem to notice or care.

"I uh, had to make sure we didn't have a repeat adventure up here." Van Pelt began quietly.

"Meh. I'll behave. Just needed to get away from, everything." Jane's eyes were on the piece of paper and journal in his hands. "I don't even know where to begin. All I know is we have until Christmas to find her, maybe less time, I don't know."

Van Pelt's cell rang, echoing in the silence. "Hello. Yes, I was correct in assuming..Yeah, he's here. Hold on."

"Jane, Cho wants to know what time you dropped Lisbon off last night."

"A little after midnight."

"And when did you read the letter?"

"An hour, hour and a half after that."

Van Pelt forwarded Jane's information. "Anything else? Ok, I'll call you when I'm on the road again. I'll tell him."

She closed her phone. "Cho says they got nothing from the trace on Lisbon's cell and no forensics evidence from the letter either."

Jane suspected as much. He stared off into the distance as the sun began to set.

"We should probably go, Jane. You know how cold it gets out here once the sun goes down."

"Yeah." Jane nodded slightly. "Can you just give me a few minutes? I'll meet you in the parking lot, I promise. I just need a little quiet."

Van Pelt nodded and left the consultant sitting on the rock as shadows descended all around. She took her time walking back to her car and was surprised that Sadie had followed her. Van Pelt had hoped the dog would have stayed with Jane but then again, the man hadn't paid much attention to Sadie since Red John had taken Lisbon. Finally making it to the warmth of her car, Van Pelt had to wait another twenty minutes before she spotted the consultant coming off the trail into the parking lot. She rolled down her car window as Jane made his way towards his car.

"Are you ok to drive?"

Jane nodded. Besides, the time alone would give him the time he needed to think.

It was dark when Jane's car pulled onto the narrow road that led down the mountain. The consultant's heart had set with the sun and wouldn't rise until the emerald eyed Lisbon was returned to him. She was, after all, the cause of the man's sun rising in the first place.

* * *

_So this chapter was a little shorter but I really thought this was a good connection to the last story and it fit well. The next chapter will be from Lisbon's POV. Where is she and what does Red John have planned? You'll find out more soon :D _


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5 – I'll Be Home for Christmas

The first thing that crossed Teresa Lisbon's mind as she woke up was that she seriously needed some Advil since there was some epic gladiator battle going on underneath her skull. She had experienced headaches before, but this one was preventing her from even thinking about moving. _Just breathe,_ she told herself, trying to recall any fragment of a memory that would explain her current situation.

Knowing she would regret the effort, Lisbon focused all of her strength on opening her eyes a sliver. All she could decipher was that it was fairly dark wherever she was. As her eyes slowly adjusted, the shape of her confinement began to come in to focus. Lisbon could make out that she was in a fairly small space, tractor-trailer sized. From her vantage point, Lisbon could see nothing else; no doors, windows or other means of escape. The only light came from the cracks in the corners of her prison. The big questions remained: Where was she and how did she get there?

The place reminded her of the shipping container that she and Jane had been locked in after she had been suspended. He had tried to help the situation by handing her the bust but the whole thing went south fast. At least this time, he wasn't the one getting her into trouble or was he? She couldn't remember, but assumed not since she appeared to be alone on this one. Lisbon almost wished for the company though. At least Jane would be able to give her some answers. Thinking through it though, Lisbon had a feeling she was in serious trouble and wouldn't wish that upon anyone, even her utterly annoying consultant.

Lisbon's head protested in agony as she attempted to sit up. She scooted back until she was against the wall and then focused again on slowing down her breathing. Eventually, she regained her composure and managed to get a good look around. There was a couple of things that Lisbon hadn't noticed from her previous vantage point. First, there was a tripod and camera set up on the far corner of the room. _I don't even want to think about how that's going to be of use,_ Lisbon thought to herself. Luckily, the camera didn't appear to be on. No red light. The second thing she noticed was a single chair to her right with something on it.

Slowly, Lisbon crawled over to the chair and the unknown object came into view. A tape recorder? It had a sticky note attached to it which said "play me". _Finally, maybe some answers, _Lisbon thought. She pressed play as the sound of static echoes off the metal walls.

_**"Teresa Lisbon, what a privilege it is to finally speak to you. First, I would like to apologize for the nasty bump on your head. You see, I don't necessarily have an issue with you, but it was the only way to get you here without a struggle. My problem however, is with the one and only Patrick Jane which you have the unfortunate privilege of being acquainted with. It saddens me to see such a beautiful woman such as yourself succumb to his lies and fake charm.**_

_** Other than your blindness towards Jane, you're a smart woman Teresa. You probably have already figured out my identity. In time, you'll probably even come to the correct conclusion as to why I have brought you here but I'll spare you the wait.**_

_** I understand that Jane has been trying to keep you safe by distancing himself from you and others. That was his fateful mistake. I also know that he has made a decision to let you in again, the distance is killing him slowly. That's right my dear. You have succeeded in doing what even I thought was impossible. He's beginning to heal. We cannot have that now can we? I have decided to put an end to this foolishness and what better time to shatter him again than Christmas?"**_

Lisbon paused the tape momentarily, a million questions flowing through her still pounding head. Red John was clearly responsible for her current predicament, but what was he saying? Jane decided to open up again? Was that why he had acted so differently before and during the Christmas party? Suddenly, Lisbon remembered the events of that night from the party, to attempting to read her book and then being whacked in the back of her head upon entering her bedroom. Lisbon pushed play on the tape recorder, again.

_**"I've decided that it is again time to knock Jane down a few notches as he seems to be forgetting the lesson I taught him years ago. Unfortunately for you, it's going to be a long, difficult week. Your survival depends solely on your beloved consultant's ability or inability, more likely, to find you. Research suggests the human body can survive a maximum 14 days without food and water, and that's in extreme cases. I assume you'll meet or exceed these statistics. I have left you some Tylenol and a glass of water. I suggest you use them wisely.**_

_** When Jane again fails to save someone he loves, I will provide him with your location. It'll be the perfect package, complete with a bow and cherished gift inside. Too bad you won't be around to see it.**_

_** As for the video camera, it will come in handy at some point. Don't worry; it's off for moment. I suggest you don't tamper with it. I wouldn't want to be forced to injure you further. Other than that, please make yourself at home."**_

With that, the tape ended and Lisbon raised a shaking hand to turn the tape recorder off. When Bosco had been murdered, Lisbon had begun to understand Jane's need for revenge. Sitting there in the dark, thinking about Red John's twisted plans for Jane and herself, she was sure she would rip the murder limb from limb if he dared show his face to her.

Lisbon kicked the wall out of frustration having no control over the situation. She was the CBI Agent. She told Jane she didn't need his protection, that she could take care of herself yet she had got herself kidnapped by the sickest killer of them all, in her own house no mind you. She sunk to the ground, her anger spent, and stared at the camera at the corner of the room, noticing that there was now a red light staring back at her. She was being watched.

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_I was surprised to realize just how difficult it is to write RJ... his mind is just so twisted and unpredictable. I hope I did the show justice with this chapter. Let me know ;o) Next chapter, we jump to Christmas Eve...what does that mean for Jane, the team, and most importantly, Lisbon?_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6 – Silent Night

Christmas Eve. It was supposed to be the night Jane gave Lisbon the second part of her present but the first one was still sitting on her desk. She had officially been missing eleven days. That left one day if Red John's note was accurate. Jane was convinced it was.

During the last few days, the team had learned next to nothing that would bring them any closer to Lisbon's whereabouts. It had been confirmed that the package containing the letter had entered the building via an orderly working on the first floor who said he was approached by a 'Santa' in full garb who handed him a hundred dollars to deliver the package. It had been scanned upon entering the building but there was nothing in the box that would trigger any kind of alarm. They had found Lisbon's phone outside of her place, near the street. Other than that, there had been no leads.

The week was clearly taking its toll on the team, especially Jane who obviously hadn't been taking care of himself. The consultant had a decent pile of stubble growing on his face, his hair as sticking up at every angle, and his clothes were a mess. His face showed obvious signs of stress combined with little, if any sleep. Dark circles were now a permanent feature under the man's eyes. The team had tried to keep him functioning, knowing that if they had any hope in finding Lisbon, they would need his help. They attempted to at least make Jane eat but he refused more often than not and the team was too tired themselves to make a real effort.

Jane was presently sitting on the couch, staring at his journal and letter as if the answers would eventually come flying off the pages if he stared at them long enough. He knew his mind was of little use at this point since it was a struggle just keeping his eyes open but sleep wasn't an option. Sleeping only brought nightmares of the past, present, and future horrors of what Jane would find if they didn't locate Lisbon in time. Besides, this was Christmas eve, day eleven, only hours until their deadline, until Jane's world completely ceased to rotate. Jane was sure that this time, there would be no salvation. Lisbon was his salvation, the air in his lungs, keeping him breathing. Without her, life ceased to exhist.

Sadie wasn't far away from the consultant, sitting in front of her food dish, pawing at it gently but the consultant failed to take notice. Rigsby entering the bullpen, sandwich in hand however, did notice, taking pity on the canine. Reluctantly, the agent broke his sandwich in half and placed the half in Sadie's dish. Her tail wagged in thanks as Rigsby gently stroked the dog's brown fur as she consumed the sandwich.

A gasp from Van Pelt's direction broke the somberness of the room. "Guys, you need to come see this."

Jane got up from his couch as the team gathered around Van Pelt's computer. On the screen was a video and even though it was dark, Lisbon's small form was visible in the corner of the room.

"Oh my God!" Van Pelt exclaimed.

"She's alive." Rigsby announced, relieved.

Jane hadn't uttered a word. His eyes were glued to the screen as he pondered what this new development meant. The conclusion was rather obvious to the consultant.

"It's for me."

Rigsby and Cho looked at Jane "What?"

"The video feed. Red John said I had until the 12th day of Christmas to find her. That's tomorrow. Whatever he plans to do with her will happen within the next forty-eight hours and this is so I can watch every gruesome detail."

Jane's fists tightened in anger as his whole body shook. He continued to stare at the screen. There were no obvious clues in the video as to where Lisbon was being held captive. As far as Jane could tell, there was nothing in the small room other than a small chair. Lisbon was sitting opposite of the chair, huddled in the corner with her knees tucked under her chin. She was staring blankly towards the camera, her breathing being the only visible movement. Jane reached out a tentative hand towards the screen, pausing a fraction of an inch away before dropping the hand completely.

The consultant moved away from the screen both out of respect for Lisbon and out of spite for Red John who clearly wanted Jane's audience. He sat back on the leather sofa, which was out of his direct line of vision but still within reach if need be. Placing his head in his hands, Jane sighed, defeated.

He wished the roles were reversed. Why couldn't Red John just take him and lock him in a cage for however long the psycho pleased? Because this was worse, so much worse and Red John knew that. Even without looking at the computer screen, the video feed had done what the murderer had wanted it to do as images of Lisbon sitting there all alone flooded Jane's mind.

Jane remembered when he was taken hostage by that nutcase woman, left alone in the cold basement for hours, days on end. The quiet gets to you after a while, almost to the point where you look forward to your captor's return even knowing the pain it will bring. He wished he would talk to Lisbon but the thought was irrational, so Jane quickly dismissed it from his mind. He needed to focus on finding her before their time ran out.

"Guys, Lisbon has something in her hands." Rigsby said. "I can't make out what it is."

Jane reluctantly got off the couch and again sat in front of the screen. "It's a glass Rigsby."

"A glass?"

"Why would she have one of those?" Van Pelt asked.

Jane watched as Lisbon stared at the glass intently when it hit him. "He's starving her. Looks like there's a little bit of water left in that thing and she's pondering whether or not to finish it off." Jane said in disgust. He smashed his hands down on Van Pelt's keyboard in frustration. "That monster hasn't even bothered to try and keep Lisbon alive. It's been what, over a week? It's amazing she's still conscious."

They watched as Lisbon stared at the glass for a final moment before downing the precious liquid. She then braced herself against the wall and slowly made it to her feet. She used the wall for balance as she slowly made her way closer.

"What is she doing?" Van Pelt wondered out loud.

"Trying to protect me…again." Jane said quietly as a lone tear fell from his eyes. The rest of the team looked at him confused.

"Just watch."

They did.

* * *

_What does Jane see that the rest of the team can't?...hmm. What do you all think? You'll find out tonight ;o) Evil, I know._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7 – Do You Know What I Know?

Lisbon stared at the glass in her hands. She swished the liquid around, watching it turn and bubble as she moved the glass from side to side. There was maybe an inch left, barely enough to taste but Lisbon had saved it for a purpose. After dry-swallowing the aspirin Red John had left her, Lisbon decided she would ration her water, only drinking it when it was absolutely necessary. She felt herself slowly weakening due to the dehydration and malnutrition and wanted to sleep but feared she wouldn't wake up. No, She had to stay awake even for just a little bit longer.

Lisbon remembered how angry she was at herself the first time she had given in to her thirst and taken a few precious sips of the water. After not having any for a few days, the relief she felt as the precious liquid trickled in her mouth was like a drug. The small taste only increased her thirst for more, but she had waited another day and a half before allowing herself a couple more sips.

Lisbon was pretty sure it was Christmas eve as she had counted the nights since her capture using the small amounts of light that filtered through the cracks of her enclosure. Trying to keep her mind focused on positive things, Lisbon imagined she was back at the office so she could give Jane his gift she had hidden away in her office. She wondered what Jane's reaction would be, imagining him opening the package like a kid in a candy store. The gift was silly really, a lava lamp, one filled with glitter to brighten up the dreary attic he now called home. Lisbon figured the room needed a little sparkle, and upon seeing it at the nearby Target, she couldn't resist. She figured that even if Jane didn't use the gift, it would at least give him something to laugh about for a moment.

Sighing, Lisbon brought herself out of the daydream, realizing that the gift would stay locked in her desk. She refused to think about the circumstances that would most likely lead to Jane finding the gift in her office at a later time. There was one gift however, that Lisbon could give the consultant tonight and Lisbon had made up her mind to do everything in her power to make that gift a reality. She hoped the remaining water would give her enough adrenaline to complete the task at hand.

Lisbon glared at the offending object as she downed the last of the water and then struggled to stand. She hadn't moved in hours and was surprised at the difficulty of the effort. Finally standing, she used the wall for support as she made her way to the opposite side of the room.

The camera, with its red light had been haunting her since it had been turned on nearly a week ago. She knew Red John was either currently using it to torture Jane or he planned on giving it to him later. Either way, it had to go. There was no way Lisbon was going to let Jane watch the conclusion of red John's latest ploy. She could at least make sure of that.

Red John had warned Lisbon not to touch the camera, but what could he do about it? Worst he could do was end her slow torture sooner, given she angered him enough, but that was okay. Sadly, Lisbon knew that this small gesture would do little to help Jane in the long run. With or without the tape, Jane would blame himself for the whole thing. _At least he wouldn't have to watch her last breath,_ Lisbon reasoned.

Taking the camera off its stand, Lisbon looked into it for a final time. She forced a smile, hoping Jane would understand what she was doing and why. Then, she turned it off and hefted the thing against the wall. A loud crash vibrated in the silence as the camera broke into hundreds of pieces, never to be used again.

The struggle had sapped Lisbon's final threads of energy as she sank to the floor. That camera had kept her fighting, refusing to show weakness to whoever was on the other end, Red John or her team. Now, with it finally out of the picture, Lisbon didn't have to pretend anymore. She would have sobbed at the thought had she the ability to produce tears. Instead, Lisbon leaned against the wall, brought her knees back up to her chest, and rested her head in her lap. In the cool chill of night, with only hours until it was officially Christmas, Lisbon slept.

* * *

Jane looked on in sadness as Lisbon came up to the camera. He knew what she was doing and why but the gesture only made his heart constrict even more. She smiled at the camera and Jane once again lifted his hand to the screen, but this time he touched it, tracing the outside of her smile before the feed went black.

"But why?" Van Pelt was still confused.

Jane didn't answer her but simply stared at the redhead with the most broken eyes she had ever seen.

Cho filled her in. "She did it so we didn't have to watch, so _he_ didn't have to watch." Everyone knew who the _he_ was Cho referred to.

Jane looked back at the now blank screen finally coming to terms that he had failed yet again. First his wife and daughter, then Bosco and his team, followed by Kristina, and now Lisbon. He was like that King, what was his name? Midas, the one who wanted it all like Jane had wanted it all at one point in his life. Selfish. He still was. If he hadn't kept Lisbon at arm's length maybe he could have, but no, he was Midas and instead of everything turning to gold, everything Jane touched ended up dead, complete with a freaking smiley.

He needed to get away, far away. Jane got up to leave but the team anticipated his actions.

"Hey man." Rigsby put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, let's not do anything stupid."

"Yeah Jane, don't do this. Lisbon would tell you the same thing if she was here." Van Pelt tried.

"How do you know? She's not here is she? We had twelve days, twelve days to find her and we failed, I failed. That's it. It's over."

"Oh, about that," Cho began "The twelve days of Christmas actually start tonight. People assume it begins twelve days before Christmas but actually, according to tradition, the twelve days of Christmas start today and end January fifth."

"I highly doubt Red John is that concerned with his Christmas history Cho." Jane glared. "I know what you're all trying to do but I, I just can't." With that, Jane strolled out of CBI and into the dark streets.

Sadie followed at Jane's heels, but again Jane failed to take notice. The consultant thought about driving to Malibu to sit under the face on the wall. That was his usual form of self torture, but Jane didn't have the energy to make the three-hour drive. Walking past his car, Jane realized he didn't feel like driving at all. Instead, he kept moving, walking until he found a different kind of personal torture.

He had been there a little over a week earlier. The busy streets of Sacramento were still bustling with last-minute shoppers. Jane forced himself to walk the streets, listen to the music, laughter and all out cheeriness that completely contrasted the darkness within him. He was sure now that he would never again be a part of that world.

There was a time, after his family's murder, when he thought there would never be a moment of happiness again in his life, but then a small ray of light entered his world in the form of Teresa Lisbon, pushing him away from the darkness whether he liked it or not. She had no idea how much changed him for the better and now she would never know.

Something in one of the store windows caught Jane's attention. He walked closer to the glass to watch the moving object inside. It was a carousel, collector's item no doubt, and would have been a beautiful sight to the typical passerby but to Jane, it only reminded him of Red John and what he had said in that damn letter. The killer was right, Jane was always and will always be one step out of Red John's reach.

Jane could feel himself crumbling. Not wanting to ruin anyone else's Christmas, the consultant made a hasty retreat away from the crowd and down a deserted street behind the businesses. There, Jane finally broke, sinking to the ground as the weight of the world was finally too much to bear. Sadie was there in an instant, nudging the man with her wet nose. It took a minute for Jane to respond, but eventually, he took the animal into his arms and sobbed into the dog's fur. He sobbed for Lisbon, for Red John's continued success in ruining his life, for breaking the promise he had made to Charlotte to love Sadie. Exhaustion eventually overtook the weary man after a week of no sleep. As the bells tolled in the distance, announcing the arrival of Christmas, the man and his dog slept in the darkness.

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_This was one of my favorite chapters to write, dunno why. So, is Jane too late? How will Red John react to Lisbon ruining his camera? Stay tuned ;o)_


	9. Chapter 9

_Sorry for the short chapter but I'll make up for it tonight ;o) _

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Chapter 8 – Blue Christmas

Lisbon awoke to the sound of noise outside. It was the first real sound she had heard in days. For an instant, Lisbon was excited, thinking the team had finally found her. Once her mind finally caught up however, Lisbon assured herself it wasn't them. They would be calling her name if it was the team. As the sound of metal on metal reached Lisbon's ears, sunlight flooded into the confined space at a blinding speed. Lisbon closed her eyes, the light far too bright for her to keep them open. Wishing she had the strength to move, Lisbon knew this would have been her one and only chance for escape. Instead, she remained still wand waited to see what her captor wanted.

Red John was angry. The live video feed was supposed to keep running through Christmas. He hadn't planned on giving the blond Miss Lisbon's whereabouts until after the new year, but the feisty woman had destroyed his camera which genially surprised the killer. His prisoner had been without food or water for over a week. She was still alive and had enough strength to destroy a perfectly good piece of electronic equipment.

The sight of Lisbon huddled in the corner of the trailer managed to temporarily calm Red John's rage. She was obviously weakened, a fraction of the woman he had captured. Her eyes were closed tightly and she was not putting up any kind of struggle.

"Weak." Red John spat, disappointed and bored. He had made the decision to finish his latest project since things were pretty boring without the video camera.

"Teresa Lisbon. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, though I must admit that I'm a bit disappointed that you are to pathetic to even show your face to me."

Lisbon pried her eyes open, but all she could see was the dark silhouette contrasting the still too bright sunlight.

"I warned you about that camera." Red John snarled. "I think I've been more than fair with you."

Lisbon would have laughed if she had the strength to.

"Unfortunately, you're a lot like your blond friend in that you simply don't listen. You see, I'm tiring of our little game here. I have this little Christmas card that I have to make. It'll be late of course but that's alright."

Christmas card? Lisbon realized she must be hearing things. Why would Red John make a Christmas card?

"I'm sorry about this Teresa. I really am. You just happen to be friends with the wrong man."

Lisbon wasn't prepared for the hand that grabbed her arm or the sharp pain that radiated from that arm as Red John made his first incision. Thankfully, that incision was enough to shut down Lisbon's mind as she fell into blissful unconsciousness.

Red John smiled at the scene in front of him before snapping a few still photos. He would mail the images along with the address in the Christmas card he intended to send to Jane. The man chuckled. Even if he sent the card in an email, Patrick would never make it in time to save his dear Teresa. Red John would send it in the mail anyway, more personal. He closed the door of the green shipping container and then stuck a giant red bow to the front of it.

"Merry Christmas Patrick Jane."

* * *

_Evil, I know. But you guys love cliffy's right?...lol_


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: So, I would love to say this chapter will make up for the last cliffy but... well, you're just gonna have to read it._

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Chapter 9  
_Go Tell It on The Mountain_

_Blood…_

_Smiley…_

_Pepper…_

_Tiger…_

_Red John…_

_Carousel…_

_Bosco…_

_Doll…_

_Kristina…_

_Elephant…_

_Pony…_

_Water…_

_Elephant, Carousel, Pepper, LISBON!_

Jane jumped awake at the sound of his phone ringing. Groggy and disoriented, he answered it.

"Hello?"

"Jane. Thank God. Where the hell are you?" Van Pelt sounded worried. "We traced your phone but we can't find you…"

"Grace." Jane cut in.

Van Pelt continued. "Jane, someone else has been tapping into your phone. We couldn't trace it, but someone has been listening in for a while now."

"Grace, STOP!" Jane shouted this time.

"What?"

"I…" Jane started, but stopped, remembering what Van Pelt had said. "I'm down one of the side streets. I need you here, now."

"We're coming. Hold on."

Jane stood up and brushed off his very wrinkled pants, waiting for the team to locate him. Finally, he heard the SUV come around the corner. The vehicle stopped as the team spotted the man and dog. Jane opened the door, let Sadie in and then jumped in himself. The team looked at him worriedly.

"You sleep out here man?" Rigsby asked.

"I know where Lisbon is." Everyone looked at the consultant, shocked. They waited for him to continue.

Van Pelt couldn't wait. "Well? Where?"

"Fairgrounds."

"What?"

"Makes perfect sense. Damn, I'm such an idiot to not realize it sooner. Cho, the fairgrounds, I'm sure of it."

Cho turned the SUV around and sped off.

"How did you figure it out?" Rigsby asked.

"Red John left clues but didn't want me to figure them out until it was too late. I should have realized it. Pepper, the elephant, and the carousel."

Jane stopped talking and stared out the window, silently begging Lisbon to hang on a little longer. Jane had to hope they still had a chance. She just had to be alive. It was Christmas after all right?

Cho eventually pulled into the large abandoned lot of the fairgrounds.

"Where to now?" he asked.

"I don't know. She's here though, somewhere."

Sadie started whining and pawing at the window.

"She knows something we don't?" Rigsby asked.

Jane opened the door of the SUV and Sadie went flying out. She ran across the field and disappeared under a line of pine trees that surrounded the property. Jane jumped out followed by the rest of the team as they all ran after Sadie's lead.

Once past the pine trees, Jane could see four green shipping containers, probably used for storage when the circus was in town. Sadie was sitting in front of one of those containers, barking.

"Guys, this one." Jane said even though that much was obvious. The particular container was decorated with a giant red Christmas ribbon.

"Lisbon!" Jane yelled, and the team echoed, "Lisbon!" No response.

Jane yanked at the chains locking the container. "We need something to cut this open with."

Cho was already running back towards the SUV. "We got tools in the car."

Rigsby was on the phone."I need backup and an ambulance at the fairgrounds asap."

Cho ran back, cutters in hand as he and Rigsby cut off the heavy lock. Then, the two men lifted the door of the container. Jane walked in ahead of the rest of the team, not really wanting to see what awaited him but needing to know at the same time. It took a moment for Jane's eyes to adjust to the darkness. The thin string of hope holding Jane upright snapped at the sight before him when his eyes finally focused. Smiley first, followed by the crumpled form of what remained of Teresa Lisbon. He was too late.

* * *

_See what I mean? I didn't realize how many of these evil cliffy's I had._


	11. Chapter 11

_Christmas present for you :D_

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Chapter 10   
_Christmastime is Here_

Jane knelt in front of Lisbon, picking her up and cradling her in his arms before slumping down against the wall. Through the haze of tears, Jane was surprised at how little the woman weighed as he held her tightly against his chest. Cho was trying to get the blonde to move but Jane wouldn't budge as he sat there, slowly rocking Lisbon back and forth on the metal floor.

"Jane, we have to meet the paramedics outside. Come on."

Jane looked up at Cho, eyes red from the tears. "What's the use? She's…" but as Jane looked down at the woman in his arms, something amazing happened. Jane came face to face with the unfocused emerald gaze of none other than Teresa Lisbon. But how? The smiley, the blood…It was then, Jane noticed the gash on Lisbon's arm, not much longer than his thumb but large enough for Red John to collect the needed medium for his signature.

"Lisbon?" Jane's voice was shaking, unsure.

The woman's eyes were still distant but as Jane finally began to register the truth behind the situation, he was relieved beyond belief to see that Lisbon was indeed breathing, alive. With a new strength, Jane picked up the frail woman and held her protectively as he moved out of the trailer and into the sunlight.

The team was outside waiting to direct the ambulance to their location. They were shocked upon seeing Lisbon, more clearly now in the mid-morning sun. The toll on the woman's body was evident to them. Her skin was sickeningly pale and somewhat shriveled in locations. Black rings surrounded her sunken eyes and her cheekbones stuck out prominently. The team's visual torment was interrupted by the sound of sirens.

Rigsby ran to meet the ambulance followed by Sadie who barked wildly at the oncoming vehicle. They directed the ambulance to the other side of the trees where the team was waiting. The paramedics jumped out of the ambulance. One ran over to Jane and the other retrieved the gurney from the back. Jane looked at the paramedic pleadingly.

"Please, help her."

"We will sir. We need to know what happened."

Jane looked at Lisbon while answering. "She was kidnapped, locked in there…" Jane gestured towards the trailer. "…for two weeks with no food or water, well, except for a single glass which she rationed."

The paramedic seemed to pale at Jane's explanation but maintained his professional composure. "Ok, let's get her on the gurney. She needs a hospital fast. We'll do our initial check en route."

Jane gently placed Lisbon on the gurney but did not want to let go of her hand. The woman's eyes had closed sometime after the paramedics had arrived.

"Sir we need to get her into the ambulance now. We'll take her to Mercy General. You can meet us there."

Jane glared at the EMT, obviously not budging.

Cho stepped in. "Sir, we're with the CBI. Can Jane here go with you?"

"Alright, but we have to go now."

For the second time, Sadie watched as Jane and Lisbon sped off in an ambulance.

Nick had seen many strange things as an EMT but answering the call about a woman locked inside of an old storage container on the fairgrounds was way beyond bizarre, and on Christmas no less. He had been hoping for a quiet, easy-going shift but fate seemed to have other ideas.

At the present moment, Nick was trying unsuccessfully to get a line into the woman's severely dehydrated arm. He watched the blonde man grimace after every attempt, not saying anything but if looks could kill…

Remembering something he had learned a long time ago about finding a vein on dehydrated patents, Nick moved to the woman's feet. He recalled that in extreme cases of dehydration, it was sometimes easier to find a vein in the ankle, just above the foot. After two attempts, Nick was relieved to finally get a line. The relief was only temporary however, as alarms started going off.

"She's seizing!" All Nick could do was try and hold her steady and hope they didn't loose the line as she rode out the seizure.

"Crap!" Nick looked up.

"What?" The other EMT asked.

"The blonde is out cold."

"We're almost there. Just make sure the man doesn't hit his head." So much for a calm shift.

* * *

_This chapter wasn't as evil as the last one right? _

******"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel  
Shall come to thee, O Israel."**

******Merry Christmas Everyone!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

_Hope you all had a great Christmas! It's funny, this story will be in real time for the next couple chapters since it is the day after Christmas._

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Chapter 11  
_I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas_

Jane woke up completely disoriented. Unfamiliar smells, sounds, and ceiling tiles kept the consultant guessing until he looked to his left to see Cho, reading. Sensing eyes on him, Cho looked up from his book.

Jane knew he was in a hospital at this point but why? As far as he could remember, he hadn't done anything particularly stupid lately. "What happened?" Jane finally asked.

"You passed out in the ambulance."

Ambulance? Why was he?...Lisbon! Jane sat upright in a flash, as the memories of the past week came flooding into his mind. Too fast. The room began to spin.

"Take it easy man. You're a mess and you need to stop passing out. Here, drink this." Cho handed Jane a glass of some kind of Juice. Gross.

"No, I have to see Lisbon. She was seizing, they couldn't find a vein… my fault."

"Look at me man." Jane looked at Cho. "Lisbon is ok. The doctors are taking care of her. She's on fluids and resting. They said she'll recover fully but it was close. She didn't have much time left. Doctors said the fact that she survived at all on only a single glass of water is a miracle but the point is she did and now she's going to get better."

"But Red John will still come for her once he knows she's alive. "

"No. Red John is long gone at least for the time being. You've been out all night and this morning, this was delivered to you at the CBI." Cho handed Jane a card and photos.

"Says he's taking a vacation. He didn't expect us to get to Lisbon in time and he figured you would probably brood in guilt for a while which was boring. He wanted to stay and watch the whole thing unfold, yada yada but we figured out he was listening in on your phone calls and didn't want to take any chances."

Cho watched as Jane read over the 'Christmas card' and looked at the pictures, mortified at the thought that he had nearly been too late. Jane handed the items back to Cho, disgusted. Later, he would ask for copies so he could add them to his Red John files but for now, the whole thing was too fresh.

Jane grabbed the cup of juice off the table next to the bed and downed it in one gulp, trying not to taste the foul stuff. He then swung his legs off the side of the bed, slower this time, and stood up.

"Uh, that's probably not a good idea." Cho tried.

"Meh. Most sleep I've had in a month. Fit as a fiddle. Right as rain."

Cho rolled his eyes. "Whatever man. You're funeral. Don't' expect me to tell you where boss is though."

Jane gave Cho the 'you really think I need your help finding Lisbon' look and strolled out of the room. Jane already knew from the man's expression that Lisbon wasn't far away, probably one of the perks of being with the CBI. Cho had glanced slightly to the right before mentioning Lisbon so Jane started with the right. Nothing down the first hallway but rounding the corner, Jane spotted Rigsby. He grinned and headed towards where the agent was standing.

Rigsby spotted the blonde heading his way. "Have a nice nap?"

"Yup. How's Lisbon?"

"Sleeping peacefully, which is why Cho was supposed to keep you in your room."

"What? You think I'm going to cause trouble?"

"You? Nah, Patrick Jane never causes any trouble."

"I'll be on my best behavior, I promise."

Rigsby realized arguing with the man was pointless. "Go in, but if you so much as make her sneeze, I'll send in Cho to physically remove you."

"No sneezing. Got it." Jane walked past Rigsby into Lisbon's room.

Seeing Lisbon for the first time was both a relief and an uncomfortable reminder of past events. While Jane was relieved that she was finally resting, IV's pumping vital fluids and nutrients that her body had been deprived of, Lisbon still looked extremely fragile lying there. The woman was small enough to begin with. Going a week and a half without food and water had dwindled her greatly. To Jane though, it was the most beautiful sight he could ask for.

Heading Rigsby's warning and also afraid to break her, Jane was hesitant to touch Lisbon but settled on lightly tracing his fingers on the back of her exposed hand. He didn't want to wake her but selfishly needed the touch to assure himself that she was indeed alive. Jane never intended on letting anyone into his heart or his life for that matter. It was a dark place, reserved for him alone, a penance for the many sins he had committed. Somehow, Lisbon had snuck past his defenses without him knowing, igniting a small flame in the darkness of his soul.

Then, Hardy had tried to kill Lisbon and Jane had reacted, not having a moment to think. Jane never remembered picking up the gun or aiming it at the threat. He remembered the shot though, the sound that effectively severed the only link they had to Red John but also saved Lisbon at the same time. He was ashamed at first, at how she had changed him. Maybe she hadn't changed him. Maybe he was that way all along and Lisbon was the only one able to read him. Maybe she knew him better than he knew himself. She knew he would choose life but she just wasn't aware that it was her life that was on the line.

Now, she had almost died again. How many times could they be this lucky? The odds were stacking up against them. Next time, things could end very differently. There would be a next time with Red John still on the loose. Even though the monster was on 'vacation', Jane knew for certain they hadn't seen the last of Red John.

He should leave, Jane thought. He should walk out of the room, out of the hospital, and as far away from Lisbon as he could. If that would guarantee Lisbon's safety, Jane would have already been gone. He would have left, not looking back, to face the killer on his own but Jane had a feeling Red John would go after Lisbon either way. Jane's feelings for her wouldn't disappear with distance and Red John knew that. It terrified the consultant.

No, he would stay. Part of Jane knew it was his own selfishness that wouldn't allow him to leave, She made it possible to wake up every day. Sure, he was still fueled by the need to find Red John but there are days when that isn't enough, when the chase becomes too much and he lacks the strength to take another step. It is on those days she is there, pulling him foreword, reminding him there are people who care about him, his family, and he is not alone.

Not long before Lisbon had been taken, Jane had come to the realization that he was making the same mistake with Lisbon that he had with his wife and little girl. After their deaths, Jane had wished every single day that he hadn't taken the time he had with them for granted. Wishing for things he wouldn't change was irrational, Jane decided but what about Lisbon? If Jane had learned anything over the past couple of weeks was that each day was precious, a gift even, yet for some reason Jane thought the best idea was keeping those close to him at arm's length and people though he was the smart one.

"You look like crap." Jane looked up and smiled, really smiled for the first time in too long. Lisbon was awake.

"Well, that's funny and true but have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?"

Lisbon closed her eyes, imagining how awful she must look.

_Stupid, stupid,_ thought Jane. _The first words out of my mouth already reminding her of her horrific ordeal._

"Sorry Lisbon, I didn't mean to…"

"No it's alright."

"It's NOT alright, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Actually, seeing you here looking at me is the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long time." _Did I really just say that outloud?_

Lisbon blushed but didn't respond.

"I'll uh go tell the guys you're awake." Jane got up to leave but Lisbon called to him.

"Jane, wait." He stopped and looked at her.

"Thank you."

Jane frowned. "For what?"

"For finding me. I knew you would. Where did you find me?"

Jane wanted to tell her that he didn't deserve to be thanked, that if it wasn't for him, she would be with her brothers, enjoying the holidays instead of in the hospital, half starved. Jane had promised Rigsby that he wouldn't upset her. Instead, he nodded and simply responded, "Uh, the fairgrounds.:

Lisbon watched Jane leave the room. He was soon replaced by her three agents, ecstatic to see her awake.

"How are you feeling?"

"Ok. Tired but otherwise good."

"That's good. We were really worried about you, especially Jane. Speaking of which, where is Jane?" Van Pelt looked worried.

"Said he had things to do." Rigsby provided. "Said he'd be back later."

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_Where did Jane go and why? hmmm... ;o)_


	13. Chapter 13

_Sorry, for anyone I confused posting the wrong thing yesterday morning. Oops ;o) Thanks to LizfromItaly for informing me of the mixup. _

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Chapter 12  
_O Christmas Tree_

Jane didn't come back that night or at all during the next few days so Lisbon was surprised to see the blonde head that poked around the corner into her room, pushing a wheelchair on the morning of her release.

"Ready to blow this joint?"

Lisbon smiled and nodded. She was more than ready to leave.

"Your chariot awaits, m'lady."

Lisbon chuckled as she stood up from the bed, having already changed into comfortable clothes. Did she mention she was ready to leave?

As Jane helped her into the chair, Lisbon realized the man looked much better than he had the last time she had seen him. He no longer resembled a caveman in a wrinkled three-piece suit. Surprisingly, Jane even looked like he had rested. Lisbon vaguely remembered Jane looking more like a walking zombie only a few days ago.

They walked through the hallways in relative silence but Lisbon wanted to cry when they finally reached the parking lot. "Please tell me we're not driving home in that thing."

"You're offending her Lisbon." Jane said as he gently tapped on the roof of his beloved car. "I'll drive slow, I promise."

"It's not the speed I'm worried about. It's the falling apart while we drive idea that has me concerned."

"Nah. She's built to last Lisbon. Built to last."

Lisbon ignored Jane, petting Sadie's head which was sticking out of the back window. Her tail was wagging in delight from the attention.

"Uhh Jane, my place isn't this way." Lisbon said as they turned onto the highway.

"Correct you are my dear. You need to eat and rest and I know if I take you home you'll do neither of those. You'll live off of frozen dinners and take-out. That, my friend, is not nutritious. Hightower has given us all the week off and I would bring you to my apartment but there's really not enough room. You'd go insane. Instead, we're going to my other place."

"Malibu?" Lisbon knew Jane still kept his old house but she had never been there. "And you didn't think it would be nice to ask before dragging me out there?" She glared at him.

"What about clothes? I know you can live in the same outfit for a week but I would like to change at some point."

"Relax Lisbon. Back seat." Lisbon looked behind her and sure enough, on the seat not occupied by Sadie, was her duffel. Her favorite blanket was folded on top of the bag. How did he?...Oh right, he's Jane.

"You went through my closets?"

"Give me more credit than that Lisbon. I sent Van Pelt into your room to gather your more personal items." Jane shook his head amused.

"Oh."

"So, are we done with the arguments? I would like to enjoy the ride."

"Humph." Lisbon grumbled before making herself comfortable in the passenger seat. A week with Jane? This was going to be interesting to say the least.

The sun was going down by the time Jane pulled into his driveway. He had spent the last couple of days making the place presentable for Lisbon, cleaning the bottom floor, putting together a temporary guest bedroom, and even purchasing a few items of furniture so the place at least seemed livable. He had hidden away all the dark secret items in his room on the top floor at the end of the hall. The door was locked and hopefully Lisbon wouldn't question it.

Jane glanced at her now, sound asleep curled up in her seat. The consultant got out of his car as quietly as possible and went to the passenger door. Lisbon mumbled something as Jane reached over to unbuckle her seat belt but otherwise remained asleep.

"Shh Lisbon. You're tired, very tired."

Gently, Jane picked up the small woman and carried her to his front door. Juggling Lisbon to retrieve his keys proved a bit difficult but eventually Jane got the door open and made his way down the hall to the guest room. He gently placed Lisbon on the bed and then went to retrieve her things. Jane placed Lisbon's duffel at the end of the bed and then draped the blanket over her shoulders. Sadie jumped up on the bed and made herself comfortable in the far corner, by Lisbon's feet. Jane left the door slightly ajar so that he could hear her when she woke up. Jane knew Lisbon would be confused when awakened in the unfamiliar room.

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Lisbon was indeed disoriented when she woke up a little over an hour later. The room was dark and for a moment, she had no idea where she was. Lisbon started to panic, for an instant, thinking she was still Red John's captive and that her rescue had only been a dream but then she realized she was under her favorite blanked and immediately settled down. She remembered Jane picking her up and them driving to his place which was where she figured she was now. Lisbon also noticed Sadie sleeping on the bed, snoring soundly.

Wonderful smells filled her nostrils and while she was reluctant to leave the comforts of the warm bed, her stomach had other ideas as she slowly rose to her feet. Lisbon kept the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, not wanting to completely leave the warmth behind.

Even though Lisbon had seen Jane in an apron before, it never got old. She had followed her nose and found Jane in the kitchen, slaving over the stove in a maroon apron.

"You better be hungry Lisbon. We've got fresh green salad, garlic bread, and all the shrimp alfredo you can eat. There's dessert too but that's a surprise and only if you eat all your food."

"What are you going to pretend the fork is an airplane and feed it to me Jane? I'm not five you know."

"No, I guess I'm childish enough for the both of us right?"

"Ha." Lisbon chuckled.

"Well, dinner's almost done so why don't I give you the grand tour…or the abbreviated tour since we only have five minutes."

Lisbon nodded.

Jane showed Lisbon the whole bottom floor from the dining room to the large sitting room. The layout of the house was very open, Lisbon observed without very many walls. He also turned on the outside lights so she could see the porch and gazebo overlooking the ocean. Lisbon could only imagine what the view looked like during the day.

"My room is up there." Jane said pointing to the stairs. "It's a bit messy so I'll spare you."

The timer went off signaling dinner and effectively ending the tour. Lisbon's stomach growled in response. She was hungry.

Jane made up plates for the two of them and then they causally ate dinner in the sitting room. Lisbon knew the man could cook but after eating the meal, she made a mental note to get Jane in the kitchen more often. There was only one part of the meal left.

"So, what's for desert?"

"Patience my dear." Jane got up from his seat on the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later with two bowls and spoons.

Lisbon took the offered bowl. It was warm and smelled amazing.

"Apple crisp. Topped with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream." Jane winked.

_Of course the man would know her favorite dessert_, Lisbon realized as she took her first bite. "Mmmm…"

The consultant grinned at Lisbon's obvious pleasure. "Good choice then?"

"Yes. Thank you but you already knew that."

"It was just a hunch. You being from the east, loving apples, three brothers, probably baked with your mom when you were little."

Lisbon looked at her lap. She forgot sometimes how well Jane knew her. Surprisingly, it wasn't unsettling. It was almost a relief to know she could be herself around him.

"Ok, now for surprise number two." Jane said as he placed his empty bowl on the coffee table.

"Another surprise? The food was wonderful Jane but I don't think I would eat ano…"

"Not food Lisbon. Close your eyes and no peeking." Jane instructed. "I have to go outside but I'll be right back."

Lisbon did as she was instructed. She heard Jane go out the door and then came back, struggling with something. She resisted the urge to peek but Jane was making a lot of noise. Lisbon didn't have any idea what he could be doing.

A familiar sent filled Lisbon just as Jane began to speak. "Ok Lisbon, you can open your eyes."

Jane was supporting a giant Christmas tree that was nearly smothering the man. It just barely cleared the house's tall ceiling.

"A tree?"

"Yes Lisbon. You have no idea how hard it is to find a decent Christmas tree _after_ Christmas."

"But why? Christmas is over."

"Nonsense. December 25th is just a date, one you spent in the hospital. No reason to miss Christmas even if we're a little late." Jane proped the tree against the wall and walked over to the closet by the door, pulling out a handful of bags. He began extracting their contents and Lisbon was amused to see all kinds of lights, ornaments, and decorations.

"They were all half price so I went a little overboard." Jane explained. "You wanna help me get this tree standing?" He asked, finding the tree stand in one of the bags.

Lisbon got up from the couch and held the tree straight as Jane secured the trunk in the stand. Then, he proceeded to take the lights out of the boxes before he and Lisbon strung them up on the tree. Hours passed as garland, glass bulbs, and ornaments of all kinds were added.

"Ready to plug it in?" Lisbon asked.

"Almost." Jane disappeared down the hall and returned with something in his hands. "I hope you don't mind but I found this at your place when Van Pelt and I got your stuff."

Lisbon looked at the object in Jane's hands. "You stole my tree topper?" She half pretended to be annoyed.

"I figured you would want something to remind you of home."

Lisbon wasn't sure if Jane was hinting at the fact that there was more to her angel tree topper than simply a decoration. It was the one item, other than her mother's necklace, that she kept from her childhood. When she was younger, her dad would hold her up so that she could place the angel on the tree. He would call her his little angel. Lisbon didn't do much decorating for Christmas but she always put up a tree.

"Sorry Lisbon, I didn't mean to…"

"No, really, it's ok. It means a lot Jane. Thank you."

Jane took the angel again and stretched to place her at the top of the tall tree. He then went over to the plug as Lisbon went to switch off the lights in the room. For the first time in nearly a decade, Jane's living room was illuminated by the lights from the Christmas tree. He expected it to hurt, seeing the tree lit up but looking at Lisbon's face as she stared at the lights settled the fears within him.

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Jane said he was going to put on some tea. Lisbon moved back to the couch and made herself comfortable. Sadie was at her feet, also looking at the tree out of curiosity. Lisbon allowed her mind to wander at what it would be like to live like this on a daily basis, to have a warm home to come to, a man who cooked for her, and a dog who sat protectively at her feet. She heard the kettle whistle and soon Jane was offering her a steaming mug.

"Thank you."

"Welcome." Jane smiled and sat next to Lisbon on the couch. "So tell me a story, a happy Christmas memory."

Lisbon looked up, deep in thought. "Well, as a kid, growing up in Chicago, there was usually snow on the ground this time of year. My brothers and I would play outside until it was dark and we could no longer feel our hands. We would make snowmen, have snowball fights, and make forts out of the mounds of snow. My mom would lure us into the house with hot chocolate."

"Marshmallows? Can't have hot cocoa without those?" Jane asked.

"My brothers had marshmallows but my favorite was always hot chocolate stirred with a candy cane. Cocoa and peppermint, mmm…"

"Candy canes? I'll have to remember that one."

Lisbon considered her words carefully before reciprocating the question. "What about you Jane? You must have some happy Christmas memories."

Jane was anticipating the question but it was still slightly difficult to hear. Lisbon deserved an answer though and surprisingly, he wanted to share this with her.

"Well, being on the road as a kid, we didn't celebrate Christmas very much. That's why, the first year in our own house, I went all out. Angie hadn't celebrated Christmas much either so I was determined to make it special. We picked out the tallest tree we could fit in the house and decorated everything, inside and out."

Lisbon watched Jane's eyes sparkle as they reflected the lights on the tree.

"We didn't have that much extra money at the time and after purchasing enough to deck out the entire house; it didn't leave much money for presents. Neither of us cared. Angie and I spent most of Christmas Eve that first year dancing to Christmas music, enjoying the lights and the mood. It was nice."

Lisbon grabbed Jane's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before she rested her head on his shoulder, as they sat in the silence, recalling happier times.

Lisbon was eventually overcome by exhaustion as she drifted to sleep. Jane was reluctant to move her, enjoying the closeness. Instead, he reached behind to the back of the couch and grabbed the throw that was there. He covered Lisbon's sleeping form before closing his own eyes and dozing off.

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_Yay! Fluff! You all wanted to know what Jane's Christmas present to Lisbon was... tune in to the next chapter to find out! ;o)_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 13  
_Don't Save it All for Christmas Day_

Lisbon was surprised to find herself on Jane's couch the next morning, awakened by Sadie licking her face.

"Alright girl, I'm up." Lisbon stretched, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She looked around, wondering where her consultant had disappeared to. As if on cue, Jane walked in with two mugs in one hand and the other behind his back.

"Morning sleeping beauty."

"Morning." Lisbon grumbled and took the offered beverage, expecting coffee or tea even but was delighted to find steaming hot cocoa in her mug.

"For you M'Lady."

Lisbon smiled. "Thanks."

"Wouldn't be complete without these." Jane removed the hand from behind his back to reveal two peppermint candy canes.

Lisbon's smile widened at Jane's offering. She eagerly peeled the wrapping off the candy cane and then stirred her hot cocoa with it. Jane watched her and did the same.

"Surprisingly, I've never done this." Jane explained, taking a sip.

"Good?"

"Very…Christmas-y" Jane replied. "And yes, it's good."

Lisbon looked around the room and noticed for the first time, a pile of presents under the Christmas tree.

"Jane? What are all those?"

Jane made his best innocent face. "Why I have no idea. Let's go take a look."

They went over to inspect the presents under the tree. Lisbon was surprised to see that most of the presents had her name on them from 'Santa', a couple with various members of the team's names, and one for Sadie.

"Jane?" Lisbon asked more seriously.

"What? Don't look at me. Looks like Santa made a late delivery last night."

"Jane, I learned there was no Santa when I was six."

"Come on Lisbon, humor me please. Just pretend you believe in the magic of Christmas for a little while."

Lisbon rolled her eyes and picked up the first package with her name on it. Tearing it open, she discovered a large ceramic coffee mug with 'I'm the boss' scrolled in decorative lettering. Lisbon chucked. I guess one could never have too many coffee mugs. The second package revealed a beautiful green scarf with matching mittens followed by a cinnamon apple candle (her favorite scent of course), a blue ray player, a few of her favorite classical movies on blue ray, a bottle of the perfume she wore to work every day, and lastly, a simple yet elegant black dress.

"Jane, this is too much and I only got you one thing which is still at the office."

"Nonsense. First of all, these are all from Santa and second, I found your gift and put it under the tree with the rest. It's here somewhere."

"You went snooping around my office?"

"You can pretend to be mad all you want but you and I both know, you were wishing you had it a second ago. Besides, I didn't peek. Scouts honor."

"Fine, but you need to open yours next. It's really lame compared to all your wonderful gifts."

"I bet it's perfect." Jane said, digging through the gifts to find Lisbon's neatly wrapped green package. He opened the card first.

_Do me a favor and get out of the stuffy attic on Christmas since I know that's where you plan on spending your time off. I hope this will at least make the place a little bit brighter._

_ Merry Christmas, Lisbon_

Jane slowly unwrapped the package and stared at the strange object, mystified.

"A lava lamp? They still make these things?"

"Yeah, but this one has glitter inside which reflects little sparkles of light across the room when lit. I just thought…"

Suddenly, Lisbon was engulfed by Jane who hugged her to the point of asphyxiation.

"Thank you Lisbon. I love it." He said into her hair. Lisbon was relieved that he liked his gift and hadn't laughed at it as she was afraid he would.

The moment was over too soon as Jane decided to let Sadie tare into her gift which turned out to be a new rope toy. Sadie enjoyed the wrapping paper more than the toy itself.

Lisbon looked up from watching Sadie play with the paper to see Jane standing there nervously with a small wrapped box in his hands and what looked like a card. Lisbon tilted her head in confusion.

"I uh, got this for you."

"What do you mean? You already got me all this stuff." Lisbon said gesturing to the pile of gifts.

"Again, you weren't listening. Those were from Santa. This is from me." He said gently handing her the items.

Lisbon opened the card that was signed from Jane and read its contents.

_I wasn't sure if this was appropriate but this reminded me of you. This one you can wear every day. It's much simpler, more of your taste. Have a great holiday and get some real rest. You deserve it and more._

_ Jane_

Lisbon unwrapped the package to reveal a small box, making Lisbon surprisingly nervous. Reluctantly, she opened the box and was amazed at its contents. Inside was a gold necklace with a single emerald teardrop pendant strung on the thin chain. It glistened under the Christmas tree lights. Lisbon looked up at Jane, not knowing how to respond.

"Well? Do you like it?" Jane asked eagerly.

Lisbon noticed Jane looked unsure and something else, worried? She quickly responded. "Of course Jane, it's beautiful. It's just that no one has ever really bought me anything like this for Christmas before."

"That's a shame Lisbon, but even more reason for me to shower you with Christmas presents." Jane admitted with a smile. "May I?" he asked.

Lisbon nodded, handing Jane the necklace. He unfastened it and then reached around Lisbon's neck to clasp it in place. Jane then pulled her hair through the necklace. Lisbon shivered at the contact. When Jane stepped back, Lisbon looked down at the necklace and gasped.

There, on her necklace, along with the emerald pendant, was a gold band, clearly Jane's ring. She looked up as tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to spill over.

"Jane?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

He wasn't responding so Lisbon stepped closer to him, grasping his hands in hers. The mask that was always so tightly places on Jane's face was no longer there. The Jane Lisbon was looking at that moment was completely exposed. She tried again.

"Jane, why did you give this to me? Please talk to me. I'm not like you. I can't read what's going on in that brain of yours."

Jane grinned slightly at Lisbon's comment. He took a deep, shaky breath before explaining himself. "Ever since my family was murdered, I have regretted taking the time I had with them for granted. Everything was about how much money I could bring to the table and how many people I could pretend to help. I neglected to realize that it was my own wife and daughter who needed me the most. I've wasted to many hours, days, pondering the 'what if's' What if I had listened to Angie's pleas to take some time off from work, what if I hadn't started working for the police, what if I had made it home for dinner that night like I promised instead of going out to celebrate another successful night on television…"

Silent tears trailed down the Jane's face as he completely opened up to someone for the first time since his family's murder. Lisbon reached up to gently wipe the man's tears but remained silent, giving him time to gather enough strength to continue.

"Then Red John took you and I realized that I had failed again. I had pushed you away, thinking that was best, yet he got to you anyway. I promised myself that if I found you alive, I wouldn't let Red John get between us again because If I allow that, then he wins. Let's face it Lisbon, we lead dangerous lives and we never know what tomorrow will bring. Red John or no Red John my time, with you, is a gift and not something to be taken lightly.

"That ring," Jane pointed to the band now hanging from Lisbon's neck, "reminded me every day that my sole purpose in life was to find Red John and make him pay for what he did to my family. Sometime between getting stuck on that mountain and your kidnapping, I came to the conclusion that there was something just as important, if not more important to live for.

I still intend to catch Red John someday and that ring remains to be a good reminder but with you wearing it, I am also reminded that there are more important things in life than revenge. You, Lisbon, are more important than revenge and by killing Red John, I become just like him. It would hurt you. Maybe not in the same way, but I would be hurting you like that monster did. I cannot become him Lisbon."

He looked down at the floor as the tears flowed freely off his nose and onto the floor. Lisbon didn't know what to do. Besides, she was too shocked herself to even move.

Jane was right. If, in the future, he had gone through with his plan to murder Red John, it would break her. Most times Lisbon thought Jane's focus on revenge was too powerful to overcome, but deep down she still held onto the smallest flicker of hope that he was wrong about himself. She just couldn't make herself believe that Jane, the tea-drinking, cheeky grinning, gun-fearing consultant would become a murderer.

Thoughts swirled around Lisbon's head but mostly, she was wondering what this moment meant for the two of them. With all the thoughts, Lisbon was having a difficult time forming actual words so she did the only thing her brain could manage. Taking Jane's hands that were still intertwined in her own, she pulled the man over to the couch and encouraged him to sit down next to her, his shoulders still shaking in emotion. She pulled him into her warm embrace, her arms wrapped protectively around his shoulders, his blond head tucked under her chin.

Sitting there in the mid-morning glow, by the warm light of the Christmas tree, Lisbon knew she had received the best gift anyone could ask for. The scarf, mittens, perfume, dress, and necklace were all wonderful gifts that she would cherish, but Jane had given her something immeasurably more special, his heart. He had entrusted her with it and although it was still broken in many places, Lisbon hoped that this moment would prove to be a starting point of that healing process. She would be here for him each step of the way, one crack filled at a time.

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_Sigh...I guess I'm opening up to more and more fluff. Almost as fun to write as the angst. ;o)_


	15. Chapter 15

_Ahh, this is the second to last chapter. I can't believe it's almost over. I added this chapter last minute. I wasn't sure if i wanted to include this scene, firstly because it has been done many times and I wanted this to be different. Secondly, I wasn't sure if the story needed it. After some thought and chatting with a few people (thanks Laura ;o) ), I came up with this. I hope you enjoy!_

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Ch 14  
_It Came Upon a Midnight Clear_

Lisbon awoke with a jolt. She bolted upright glancing around the dark room. Whatever had awoken her had woke Sadie as well. She was sitting up, ears perked in attention. Lisbon wished she had her gun with her as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

She was slowly getting out of bed when she heard it, the loud pleading scream coming from another part of the house.

"NO…PLEASE…"

Lisbon walked down the hallway towards the front of the house. She stopped in the kitchen to grab a knife out of the drawer. It wasn't as good as her on duty weapon but it would have to do. She paused momentarily at the stairs, suddenly wishing Jane had given her a tour of the upstairs, so she would at least be familiar with her surroundings.

At the top of the stairs, Lisbon was met with a long hallway. She briefly noted the lack of pictures hanging on the wall though it was clear the hallway had been lined with memories at some point. She slowly turned the handle of the door on her right but found it locked. The door across the hall was unlocked but it was only a bathroom, leaving the door at the very end of the hall as her only option.

Lisbon tightened her grip around the kitchen knife and turned the knob. At first glance, Lisbon was sure all of her worst fears had become a reality. The scream combined with the bloodied face on the wall which Lisbon was now staring at, led her to believe that Red John was indeed back and in Jane's house. Taking another look, however, Lisbon relaxed slightly as she realized the smiley was an old one, darkened with age. She peeled her eyes from the wall and looked around the room which was littered with items from Jane's past including a tricycle, pair of ice skates, and a large brown teddy bear. Finally, Lisbon's gaze rested on the ratty, old mattress on the floor in the corner of the room or more importantly, the occupant of said mattress.

Jane was sprawled on the mattress, still wearing his three-piece suit, sweat evident on the man's forehead pasting blond strands of hair to his face. The CBI attic didn't look so bad compared to the man's current sleeping conditions. No wonder the man slept at the office.

Lisbon remembered the first time she had experienced Jane amidst a nightmare. She hadn't really known what to do then and she certainly didn't know what to do now.

"Jane." She tried, but the blonde's eyes remained closed.

Lisbon knelt down next to the sad excuse for a bed and gently shook Jane's shoulder. "Jane, come on. You need to wake up."

With a jolt, Jane's blue-green eyes opened as he furiously blinked away the sleep from his eyes.

"Lisbon?"

"Right here Jane. You were having a nightmare."

Lisbon's hand was still resting on Jane's shoulder. He avoided her gaze, ashamed at the state she had found him in. Lisbon was never supposed to find out about this room.

"Jane, please look at me."

The man was stubborn, eyes still glued to the wall in front of him.

_Two can play at this game,_ though Lisbon as she maneuvered herself into Jane's frame of vision, preventing him from avoiding her.

Jane was expecting a few reactions from Lisbon: pity and empathy being two of them. While he didn't want or deserve either of those, Jane was rather surprised to find neither her face. Instead, she showed something else entirely. Determination.

"Come on Jane. We're leaving this room. Now." She reached down and grabbed Jane's arm, helping him stand before leading him from the room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen where she methodically began fixing the kettle for tea after returning the knife to its drawer. It was amazing how familiar she was with the place after only being there a few days.

Leaving Jane sitting on a stool in the kitchen with his tea, Lisbon made her way back up the stairs. Not looking at the wall, she picked the mattress off the floor and wrestled it down the stairs. Jane watched in slight amusement, as Lisbon walked past him dragging the mattress into the guest room. He stood up and followed her, leaning on the door frame to watch.

"If you're going to sleep on this thing, you're not staying up there."

"Lisbon, this really isn't necessary. I've already interrupted your beauty sleep. No need for me to be a burden."

"I'm not taking no for an answer, now come on. Maybe we can salvage what's left of this night."

"Will you tuck me in?"

Lisbon took one of the blankets off her bed and chucked it at the consultant, reaching its target and smothering him in fleece.

"May I suggest you at the very least, take off that jacket. It's no wonder you can't sleep."

Jane would have come back with a sarcastic remark about her trying to undress him but, she was only trying to help and the longer he fought her, the less sleep she would get. He shrugged off his gray jacket, draping it across the chair in the corner of the room. He then took the fleece blanket, and settled down on the mattress.

Lisbon climbed back into her bed and turned to watch the blond head of hair not far from her bed. She had set up Jane's bed on the floor in such a way that she could see him but he was currently not facing her. She figured that if he was plagued by nightmares again, at least in here she could wake him rather quickly. Satisfied, Lisbon switched off the lamp by her bed.

"Goodnight Jane."

"Goodnight."

"Lisbon?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

Jane listened as Lisbon's breathing evened out in sleep. Not long after, Sadie jumped down off the bed and crawled onto the already small mattress, resting her head on Jane's lap. Soon, she too, was asleep snoring slightly. Jane was surprisingly comforted by the chorus of slumber as he closed his own eyes and drifted off.

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_How was that? Different, I hope and believable. The last chapter (epilogue) takes place on New Years Eve so I figured I would post the last chapter then ;o) I think you will like the ending..._


	16. Chapter 16

_You can thank this fluffy ending and the chapter title to the holiday music we had on repeat for two months at work (wal-mart)...haha. _

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Epilogue  
_Kiss Me At Midnight_

Lisbon looked at herself in the mirror for the umpteenth time. It was New Years Eve and Jane had invited the team over. They were due anytime and Lisbon was nervous. It had only been a week and the effects of her capture were still evident. The dress Jane had bought her was beautiful but it showed her still-too-thin shoulders which stuck out almost unnaturally. The team hadn't seen her since the hospital and Lisbon was afraid of what they might think.

Lisbon's companion chose this moment to knock lightly on the door.

"Come in."

Jane walked in and smiled, seeing Lisbon in the dress.

"You look amazing Lisbon."

Her eyes immediately hit the floor, obviously disagreeing with his statement.

Jane gently placed a hand on her chin and lifted her head to look at him. "Look at me Lisbon." Her eyes met his.

"You look stunning, a hundred percent better than when we left the hospital. The team will see how much you've progressed and be proud of you just like I am."

Lisbon blushed, surprisingly reassured by Jane's words. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, making sure her hair and necklace were properly in place before following Jane down the hall to await their guests.

When the doorbell finally rang, Lisbon was helping Jane with the veggie platters, placing them on the table. Jane went to answer the door with Sadie, finding his three teammates waiting on the doorstep. He ushered them in, offering to take their coats before giving them a quick tour. Lisbon waited for them to find her in the kitchen. Van Pelt was first.

"Boss." She smiled upon seeing Lisbon.

"Please, Lisbon is fine when we're not at work."

Van Pelt ignored the comment and moved to embrace Lisbon who quickly put down her drink, returning the hug.

"You look great boss."

Lisbon wanted to chide her again about the name but let it slide.

"Thanks, where are the boys?"

"Probably still gawking at Jane's huge TV." Van Pelt chuckled.

"That, or they found their Christmas presents under the tree."

"Speaking of which," Van Pelt began "How was your little Christmas here? I was delighted when Jane told me his plans to recreate the holiday for you."

"It's been nice, really nice actually."

"Did Jane get you that?" Van Pelt asked, referring to the necklace.

"Yeah, and the dress too. He went all out, pretending Santa had left all the presents. He used some lame excuse about me needing to find the magic of Christmas again."

"Sounds like typical Jane." Van Pelt had noticed the gold band strung on Lisbon's necklace but decided not to push the topic. She had a pretty good idea whose gold band that was and wondered what the significance of Lisbon wearing it was but kept the questions to herself.

"Yes it does but shockingly, Jane has been a complete gentleman the whole time."

"What are you saying about me? My ears were ringing all the way in the other room." Jane walked into the room followed by his two male cohorts.

"Boss was just saying how well behaved you have been this week." Van Pelt explained.

"Jane? Behaving?" Cho quipped.

"Come on guys. I'm not THAT bad." Jane argued.

"Hmm," was Rigsby's only response.

"I was going to say you should all go have a seat in the dining room and I'll bring out dinner but I don't know if you all deserve it after all that."

"They don't deserve it." Joked Lisbon. "But if we don't feed Rigsby soon, things just might get violent."

Everyone but Rigsby broke out in laughter as the group migrated into the dining room.

"What's for dinner?" Asked Van Pelt.

Lisbon supplied the answer as Jane went to get the food. "Jane thinks he's feeding an army. He's made stuffed lobster and prime rib for everyone. We also have salad and twice baked potatoes."

Jane came into the room with the first two steaming plates as he placed them in front of Rigsby and Cho.

"Hope you're all hungry. Lisbon do you mind serving drinks?" Jane asked.

"No problem, what do y'all want. We have wine, beer, water, milk…"

"I'll take a beer." Of course Rigsby.

"Water's fine for now." Supplied Cho.

"Wine please." Grace politely asked.

"Jane, what do you want?" Lisbon yelled into the kitchen.

"Tea!"

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Why do I even ask?"

The rest of the team snickered.

Finally, all the meals were distributed as everyone began to eat.

"Mmm. Jane you can cook too? Why didn't you tell us of this particular useful talent of yours?" Van Pelt complimented.

"Thank you Grace. I picked it up years ago. I ran out of normal books to read, so I started reading cookbooks."

They eventually finished dinner, too stuffed to want more but Jane mentioned watching a movie on the big-screen TV and the guys magically had the ability to move into the living room. Jane called back to the girls who were still in the dining room talking.

"What movie do you want to watch? We've got _Inception, Grown Ups, Taken, Meet Joe Black_."

"Hmm, well _Taken_ is too close to our daily lives." Lisbon supplied. "And Brad Pitt in _Meet Joe Black_ could be your twin. Besides, I could go for something funny."

"Hmm, you think I look like Brad Pitt?" Jane smirked. "Grown Ups it is but you girls better get in here or you'll miss the beginning."

^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^o^

The movie finished fifteen minutes before midnight, giving Jane plenty of time to usher his guests outside. It was thankfully a rather mild night despite it being late December.

"Jane, may I ask why we're outside?" Rigsby asked, being separated from his cheese and cracker platter. "Although, I know we missed this on the grand tour, there's not all that much to see."

Jane just continued walking, leading them to his own private beach. Sadie ran in front, obviously used to strolling along the sand. Though it was dark, the moonlight provided enough light to illuminate the beach and the vast expanse of ocean.

Jane looked at his watch. "Five minutes."

"Other than the new year, what else are we waiting for?" Van Pelt asked enthusiastically.

"Patience Grace."

Lisbon was caught with a feeling of Déjà vu. The whole thing reminded her of the stroll she and Jane had through the Christmas -lit neighborhood. It seemed like another lifetime ago yet she could remember each detail as if it happened yesterday. Lisbon knew he was up to something again but this time, she knew well enough to simply wait for whatever the man had planned.

The five minutes passed quickly and soon Rigsby began counting down the seconds for the last remaining minute of the year. When he got to ten, the rest of the team joined in.

"Ten…nine…eight…seven…six…five…four…three…two…one."

Lisbon wasn't all that surprised when precisely at midnight, the first spark of light streaked across the sky, as the first firework was launched into the night, followed by another. One by one, they exploded in blasts of light, color, and sound.

Jane watched as Lisbon quietly slipped away from the group and up the wooden steps. Jane followed her curiously up the stairs, down the long dock, finally ending up inside Jane's large gazebo. Lisbon sat down at the far end, on the wooden bench and continued to watch the show. Quietly, Jane moved to sit next to her.

"Looked like a better view from up here."

"It's fireworks Lisbon. You can pretty much see them perfectly from any spot along the beach for miles."

"I know. But from here you can see everything; the beach, ocean, sky, and the fireworks."

"True. It was always one of my favorite spots."

"Was?"

"Umm. Yeah, I don't really come out here anymore."

Lisbon was staring off at something or nothing in particular in the distance. "That's a shame. It's beautiful here."

"Hmm, Beautiful." Unbeknown to Lisbon, Jane was no longer talking about the view. He was amazed at the woman sitting in front of him. Not only was she gorgeous on the outside, looking particularly stunning in the glow of the fireworks, the ocean breeze flowing through her hair, but she was also beautiful on the inside. She had gentle, yet unwavering ability to see things in him that he couldn't possibly see in himself. She was changing him for the better every single day, one challenge at a time. Jane wished he could express how much he appreciated her.

A wave of electricity resembling the strength of the fireworks in the sky shot through Lisbon as Jane's fingers unexpectedly brushed the side of her face. She quickly turned to look at him, catching a new look in his eyes she had never seen before. Again, unmasked before her, Jane's eyes searched Lisbon's in desperation, silently asking a question. Lisbon answered without words as a small sigh escaped her small frame. Jane understood, cupping his hand behind her neck, he gently pulled Lisbon foreword.

Eyes closed as lips met. The fireworks continued to blast in the background, yet the two in the gazebo were lost in their own little world. Only minutes into the year, yet both Jane and Lisbon's New Year's resolutions had been fulfilled. His being to show the woman in his arms just how much he cared about her while she resolved to teach the man how to love again. He may have been the man who's heart had shrunk, two sizes too small, but in the warmth of the moment, Patrick Jane swore he could feel it growing, leaving only hope for what the rest of the year would bring.

_"All of my friends are here  
and when the time is right  
kiss me at midnight."_

The End

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_I'm glad you all finally get to read the end but I'm sad to see this one go. I enjoyed writing this. Thank you again to everyone who reviewed, favorited, etc. It means a lot. I hope you all have a fantastic New Year. TM returns next week! Woot woot! _


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